Recently, we got our hands on the nubia V80 Max, a new smartphone from nubia that’s priced at under PHP 10,000, making it an intriguing new budget smartphone option.
Previously, we reviewed the nubia Air, a budget-friendly smartphone that proved to be an intriguing option for buyers who want to spend under PHP 15k on a new daily driver. This time, we’re checking out the V80 Max, which is an even more affordable phone, as it is priced at just under PHP 10k. Even though it’s priced competitively, it still promises to be a compelling everyday device in terms of usability, cameras, and battery life. Given its large 6,000mAh battery and 50MP rear camera, the V80 Max seems to be quite good specs-wise.
Of course, even though it seems to be a good deal on paper, we had to check if this phone is a solid budget option, especially considering that the entry-level segment is quite a competitive one.
So, does the V80 Max continue nubia’s streak of offering great bang-for-buck smartphones in the Philippines? Here’s what we think.
Geek-sthetic
Previous nubia devices that we’ve seen had unique styles. For instance, the Air had an interesting horizontal camera module that’s unlike many other phones that are on the market. On the other hand, the nubia V80 Max looks a bit more familiar. In fact, its triple cameras are laid out kind of similarly to a Samsung Galaxy phone.
That’s not a bad thing though, as thanks to this, the V80 Max doesn’t look like a phone in its price range at first glance. While some users may also prefer a more striking-looking phone, we do like the V80 Max’s sleeker style, especially in the Sky Cyan colorway.
As you can see in the image above, the V80 Max’s sides are flat, making for a comfortable grip. The edges also feel grippy, meaning it probably won’t slip out of your hands when you’re using it, whether for checking social media or gaming.
It’s also worth noting that the power button on the side is colored red. This is a small touch that we quite like, as it gives the phone a bit of extra character while keeping the subtle overall style.
Also worth mentioning is that, even though this is a budget phone, it doesn’t feel like a particularly cheap device. It also feels well built, as it should, as nubia promises that the phone has a drop resistance of up to 1.8 meters. We didn’t test this out as part of our review, though based on how the phone feels (and the fact that we’ve “dropped” it on a table), it should have no issues surviving accidental drops. As a bonus, the phone’s screen comes with scratch-resistant glass (though we’re not sure what type exactly), so that should be good for extra protection.
This scratch-resistant glass protects the phone’s 6.9-inch display. Most phones available now have a screen size of between 6.6 and 6.8 inches, and while the V80 Max’s screen doesn’t seem that much bigger, you can feel the size when you’re holding it in your hand, and if you put it side by side with another phone. This is likely due to the thicker bottom bezel, giving the phone a notable chin.
Even with the slightly larger size, the V80 Max is still easy to hold and bring with you everywhere you go. Plus, the bezels being a bit thicker isn’t an issue given that this is a budget phone (so, compromises had to be made somewhere).
Binge-Watching Factor
Speaking of the display, the nubia V80 Max’s 6.9-inch LCD screen has an HD+ resolution, which is 720 x 1640 in this case. Yes, this is a 720p screen, meaning it’s not the sharpest-looking display for a phone. Because of the size, it’s also quite noticeable that the display is only 720p, but it’s not a bad device for binge-watching movies/shows, thanks to the decent color output and brightness. While it’s not class-leading in this regard, for a budget phone, it’s not that bad for movie or series marathons.
For audio though, the onboard speaker is just fine. It gets decently loud, but it’s lacking a bit in the bass department. Thankfully, this isn’t a big issue as the phone has a 3.5mm headphone jack. Support for a wired audio device has become a rarity, so we appreciate the fact that you can hook up a wired pair of headphones or speakers to it. But if you prefer wireless, we had no issues with Bluetooth connectivity with this phone.
Gaming Performance
Powering the nubia V80 Max is a Unisoc T7250 chipset paired with 8GB of RAM. This SoC is made for entry-level devices, and as such, we didn’t exactly expect the V80 Max to be a gaming powerhouse, though we hoped that it had enough power to at least run popular multiplayer titles, including MOBAs like League of Legends: Wild Rift and shooters such as Call of Duty: Mobile. Thus, most of our gaming time with this phone was with these kinds of titles.
When it comes to gaming, the V80 Max is fairly capable for MOBAs and FPSes. For instance, Wild Rift ran fairly smoothly at the Medium graphics quality setting and at 60 FPS. Call of Duty: Mobile also ran well at the Medium graphics quality setting, with minimal framerate drops. Note that for Call of Duty, you can’t bump the graphics up to more than Medium, which shows that you’ll want to keep your settings for most games on the lower end.
This also means you likely won’t be able to play more demanding mobile titles. Still, the fact that the V80 Max can run popular mobile multiplayer games is good for more casual gamers.
Geek Photoshoot Capabilities
Now, let’s talk photography. While the nubia V80 Max has a triple rear camera setup at the rear, it’s not clear what exactly the other two auxiliary lenses are for. Because of this, we’re treating his phone as a device with a single rear shooter, though it is promising on paper as the main camera is a 50MP snapper. At the front is a 16MP selfie camera.
As expected, shots taken with the rear camera in daytime are good in terms of details and colors. The photos may not hold up as well when you crop them, but overall, for a budget phone, the main camera shots are satisfactory when there’s plenty of light. This is also the case indoors, as you can get decent results if you shoot in a well-lit room. If it’s a bit darker, you start to see fuzzier details and more noise.
At night, you can use the camera app’s dedicated Night Mode to get sharper shots with more vibrant colors. These shots are much better than those taken with the standard Auto Mode, though they don’t look as natural color-wise, as colors are punched up a bit too much (which is often the case for Night Mode shots taken with budget cameras).
For selfies, the V80 Max is fine, as the 16MP selfie shooter can take decent photos. For best results, you’d want to take photos in a well-lit area, as the low-light selfie quality sees a noticeable dip in quality. Again, as with the main shooter, the selfie camera isn’t disappointing when you consider that this is a phone that’s priced at under PHP 10k.
Everyday Reliability
While the phone works decently well when it comes to gaming, for daily performance, the nubia V80 Max could be a bit better. We didn’t experience any issues or major slowdowns when it comes to using the apps themselves. What we did notice is that the phone can feel slightly sluggish when it comes to switching between apps and scrolling through menus in some apps.
This is still a usable device as a daily driver, though it’s not the snappiest performer, with apps also sometimes taking a tad bit longer to load. In this regard, we would’ve liked to see better performance, but it should still be a fine partner for everyday use (unless you’re a power user or want a device to create content on).
What we did like is the battery life. Thanks to the large 6,000mAh battery, the nubia V80 Max easily lasts for a day of use on a single charge. While you can stretch that to a day and a half, a day of use is a bit more realistic if you use your phone quite heavily. For charging, the phone supports 22.5W wired fast charging. This isn’t the fastest charging phone you can get, but having a big battery with slightly slower charging is something we’d pick over a fast charging phone with a smaller battery, especially in this segment.
Final Geek Lifestyle Verdict
Overall, we did like a bunch of things about the nubia V80 Max. We though that the build is solid, and that the battery life is quite good. The fact that it also has a 3.5mm headphone jack is another advantage. Plus, the cameras are fairly good for a budget phone, while the display is also satisfactory for an HD+ screen.
We did notice that the performance, especially when switching between apps, could be better. There is some sluggishness from time to time, but it does at least have enough power to run popular multiplayer games.
At its SRP of PHP 9,999, the nubia V80 Max is worth considering, though this is quite a crowded segment with plenty of options. Still, if you want a solidly-built phone with a good battery life, and aren’t planning to use your device for more hardware-intensive tasks, the V80 Max can be worth considering.
nubia V80 Max specs:
- 6.9-inch HD+ (720 x 1640) display, 120Hz refresh rate, with scratch-resistant glass
- Unisoc T7250 processor
- Mali-G57 MP1 GPU
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB storage
- Rear cameras: 50MP main camera + auxillary cameras
- Front camera: 16MP
- LTE, Dual SIM + microSD
- Side-mounted Fingerprint scanner, USB Type-C port
- IP64 dust-tight and water resistant
- 6,000mAh battery with 22.5W wired Fast charging
- Android 15 with MyOS 15
- Price: PHP 9,999